Wire screen belt



June 6, 1933. E. c. DOWNER WIRE SCREEN BELT Filed April 17 1931 l N VEN TOR.

8 'dward fipozzrner n my 7M1!- 3w ATTORNEYS Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES" PATENT; OFFICE EDWARD G. DOWNER, OE OLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE W. S. TYLER COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A GORPORATION OF OHIO WIRE seamen BELT Application filed April 17,

belts have heretofore been constructed byv Weaving or otherwise suitably forming. a sheet of suitable metallic fabric of suflicient width and length, so that the'same may be spliced along longitudinal and transverse seams to forma continuous, endless web which is trained about suitable driving.

drums; It is well known that this form of construction has numerous disadvantages such as the cost of its manufacture, the premature deterioration of the screen or fabric due to the stresses placed thereon, the warping or wavingof the woven beltdue to the uneven distribution of stresses during operation, and the unevenness of the original weave of the fabric, and other disadvantages which are equally well known to those familiar with the art.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide an endless conveyor apparatus which shall have none of the abovenamed undesirable characteristics, and which shall be superior ineveryrespect to any typeof such apparatus ashas heretofore been employed. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fullydescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forthin detail certain mechanismembcdying the invention, such disclosed f 1 means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which theprinciple of the invention may' be used. 7

In said annexed drawing: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a conveyor constructed in accordance with the principles comprising my invention; Fig. 2

1931. Serial No. 530,783.

is a sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in F ig.-1, taken on a plane substantially indicated by the line 2-2; Fig. 3 is a plan view of terminal portionsof woven metallic sheets constructed in accordance with a modification of the principles comprising my invention illustrated in the previous figures; Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively sectional views similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating the assembly of'themodified form of construction most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a plan view of theterminal portion of a partially completed modified form of construction of the metallic fabric belt element comprising my invention; F ig.7 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 6 illustrating the partially completed termi nalof the modification illustrated in Fig. 3; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective View drawn to an enlarged scale of one edge of the fabricillustrated in Figs. 3 and 7.

Referringmore specifically to the drawing and more especially to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the apparatus here illustrated for the purpose of convenience, includes movable laterally spaced chains 1 and 2, which will be portions of the well known form of endless chain construction usually employed in connection with endless conveyors. It will be noted that the chains 1 and ,8 2 in actual installation will be trained about suitable sprocket wheels so thatthe metallic web conveyor comprising my invention may move in the well known manner in which endless conveyor webs usually operate.

The laterally spaced movable'chains 1 and '2 are provided with tubular cross bars 3 which will preferably be secured to the chains 1 and 2 and will accordingly be carried therei by in the desired path of movement of the conveyor belt as is well known to those familiar with the "artof conveyor construction.

The novel features of my invention relate specifically to tlieformation of'the tubular members 3 which are the cross bars of the chains 1 and 2 and the form of construction and mounting of the woven metallic fabric hereinafter more fully described and which forms the supporting means for the material to betransported by the conveyor. It will U l be noted that while the members 3 have been illustrated in the figures as consisting of tubular elements, however the cross-sectional contour as well as the thickness of the walls of such elements may be varied from the illustrated form without departing from the prin= ciples of my invention.

The cross bars 3 most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2' are provided with axially extending slots 4 into which extend the rebent portions 5 of the longitudinally adjacent edges of the metallic fabric elements 6. The metallic fabric elements 6 will preferably be of suitable woven screen, or the like, having a mesh suitably adapted to support and convey the material which is to be treated by the particular form of the apparatus.

The woven fabric elements 6, it will be noted from the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, may be readily formed by cutting the same to a suitable size from a large sheet or roll of suitable fabric, so that no special attention need be paid during the formation or weaving of the screen to adapt the same to be employed in accordance with the principles comprising my invention, the only necessary step being the shearing of the fabric elements to the proper size and'a rebending of the longitudinally adjacent edges 5 sufiiciently so that the same may be inserted in the slots 4 provided therefor, the extent to which the terminals 5 will be bent, of course, depending. to a certain degree upon the radius of the sprocket about which the belt must pass, so that the terminals 5 will not move out of the slots 4 as the web passes overand around the sprocket at the end of the belt.

It will be noted that as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, the tubular cross members 3 are provided with apertures such as 7 extending through the wall at points diametrically opposed to the slots 4:, so that any m aterial which may pass into the confines of the tubularmember 3 may be discharged through such apertures.

Instead of-providing the cross bars 3 with axially extending slots into which the rebent longitudinally adjacent edges of the metallic fabric extend, I may prefer to support such fabric elements on the cross bars by having the same provided, as is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, with complementary projections 8 which are initially formed to a length such as is clearly illustrated in Figs. 6' and 7 and then rebent arcuate in form so as to engage the outer periphery of the cross bars 3,

to become interlocked as the same pass around the sprocket Wheels at the terminals of the endless web.

In order to prevent such interlocking of adjacent edges of the fabric sheets 9 and 10 due to the short projecting wires occasioned by the cutting to form the projections 6 and 8, I propose to either provide such edges with a sheath 11 of solder, or the like, or a rebent metallic sheath 12 such as is most clearly illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. When the adj acent edges of the elements 9 and 10 are sheathed in the manner described, there will be no tendency for the same to become interlocked as they pass around the sprocket wheels or drums, so that the endless web may function smoothly and all possibility of damage thereto will be obviated.

It will be noted from the above description that an endless conveyor web of woven metallic fabric may be formed by simply cutting sections from a strip or roll of fabric formed in the usual manner and such strips require little or no preparation in order to adaptthesame for installation in the conveyor web. With the foundation for the conveyor web provided by the laterally spaced chains 1 and 2, and the cross bars 3, in the manner described, there will be no tendency for such web to wrinkle or run in waves as has been the case with wire mesh webs as heretofore constructed, and the metallic fabric not being subject to the load carrying stresses will endure for a much ffore constructed. Other advantages of the hereinbefore described forms of construction are believed to be so well known to those familiar with the art that a further enumeration thereof at this point is unnecessary.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the 'inechanisin herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such state means be employed. H

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention: I

1. A conveyor comprising in combination, a plurality oflaterally spaced movable elements, a plurality of spaced cross bars secured to said movable elements, slots in said crossbars, and a plurality of sheets of woven metallic fabric each pivotally supported by said cross bars with both their transversely eizttending opposite edges projecting into said s 0 s.

2. A conveyor comprising in combination, a pluralityof laterally spaced movable ele ments, a plurality of spaced crossbars secured to said movable elements, slots insaid cross bars, and a plurality of sheets of Woven metallic fabric. provided with rebent portions along opposite edges extending into said slots and in pivotal engagement with cross bars.

3. An endless conveyor belt comprising in combination, a plurality of laterally spaced endless conveyor chains, axially slotted tubular Crossbars secured in spaced relation to said chains, and a plurality of sheets of Woven metallic fabric provided With rebent portions along opposite edges extending into i said slots and in pivotal engagement with said cross bars.

4. An endless conveyor belt comprising in combination, a plurality of laterally spaced endless conveyor chains, axially slotted tubular cross bars secured in spaced relation to said chains, a plurality of sheets of Woven metallic fabric provided With rebent por tions along opposite edges extending into said slots and in pivotal engagement with said cross bars, and material discharge apertures formed in said cross bars diametrically opposite to said slots.

Signed by methis 14th day of Aprll, 1931.

EDWARD G. DOWNER. 

